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Ġurnalisti bla fruntieri




Din il-ġimgħa ġie pubblikat l-indiċi tal-libertà tal-istampa għall-2019 mill-aġenzija Ġurnalisti Bla Fruntieri (Reporters Without Borders). F’dan l-indiċi din is-sena Malta waqgħet 12-il post ‘l isfel, u kienet it-tielet l-iktar pajjiż li qala’ daqqa ‘l isfel fl-Unjoni Ewropea u l-Balkani, wara s-Serbja u l-Maċedonja li niżlu 14-il post ‘l isfel.

Hekk Malta issa niżlet fis-77 post, l-agħar pożizzjoni li qatt kienet fiha. Fl-2013, Malta kienet tinsab fil-45 post. Dan ifisser li f’sitt snin taħt it-tmexxija ta’ Joseph Muscat, Malta waqgħet lura 32 post f’dik li hi libertà tal-istampa, u issa hija t-tielet l-agħar pajjiż fl-Unjoni Ewropea f’dan l-indiċi. Agħar minna hemm biss l-Ungerija u l-Bulgarija.

Xi jkejjel dan ir-rapport? L-ewwelnett, ir-rapport jagħti marki bbażati fuq il-livell ta’ pluraliżmu u indipendenza tal-media f’kull pajjiż. Ikejjel ukoll il-livelli ta’ ċensura u liġijiet li jħarsu l-libertà tal-espressjoni. Iħares ukoll lejn l-ambjent li fih ikunu qed joperaw il-ġurnalisti f’dak il-pajjiż partikolari u kemm huma liberi jinvestigaw u jinfurmaw lill-pubbliku anke fuq korruzzjoni fl-ogħla livelli.

Ir-rapport jinnota li f’Malta hawn biża’ li jżomm il-ġurnalisti milli jkomplu jagħmlu x-xogħol investigattiv li kienet bdiet Daphne Caruana Galizia. Jinnota t-tattika mifruxa li thedded lill-ġurnalisti billi tipprova teżawrilhom ir-riżorsi finanzjarji tagħhom b’libelli u friżar tal-assi, bħalma kien għamel il-Ministru Chris Cardona, u kif għaddejjin kampanji sistematiċi biex dawk il-ftit li jaslu jinvestigaw jiġu skreditati u attakkati. Jinnota kif għaddew sittax-il xahar mill-qtil ta’ din il-ġurnalista, u għadna s’issa ma nafux min kien il-mandant jew mandanti. Jinnota kif il-Gvern qed jirrifjuta li jagħmel inkjesta pubblika dwar jekk il-mewt tagħha setgħetx tiġi evitata. Jinnota wkoll kif il-Gvern irrifjuta li jressaq l-abbozz ta’ liġi li jwaqqaf l-abbuż magħruf bħala SLAPP fuq il-ġurnalisti illi kienet preparat u ressqet l-Oppożizzjoni.

Kienu dawn il-punti ewlenin li jqajjem dan ir-rapport u li jispjegaw din il-waqgħa. Punti li qegħdin hemm frott ta’ ħaġa waħda: frott ta’ Gvern korrott, li ħataf l-istituzzjonijiet u għaffeġ il-liġijiet biex issaltan l-impunità, biex ikun jista’ jagħmel li jrid. U li biex jasal għal dan, qed joħloq kultura fejn min jidher li ma jaqbilx miegħu, jew jikkritikah, jiġi attakkat, skreditat, imżebblah, mgħajjar traditur, sa ma jkun hemm xi għaref jew għorrief li tant jiġu maħkuma minn din il-propoganda li jasal jattakka anke fiżikament, kif ġara fuq xi wħud, jew saħansitra joqtol, kif ġara lil Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Ikun hawn min jaħseb li għax hu ġurnalist, dan kollu ma jaffetwahx. Ikun hawn min jaħseb li għax hu komdu joqgħod kwiet u ma jikkritikax, dan ma jaffetwahx. Anzi, ikun hawn min saħansitra jwaħħal f’dawn il-ġurnalisti “żatat” li jiġrilhom li jiġrilhom, bħallikieku jekk riedu li ma jiġrilhom xejn misshom qagħdu kwieti.

Xi żball. Ma tifhimx li f’xogħol il-ġurnalist li jinvestiga sa ma jsib il-verità, hemm magħqud id-dritt tiegħek li ssir tafha? Ma tifhimx li fit-theddida tal-ġurnalist li ma jagħmilx mistoqsijiet żejda, hemm theddida għalik li jekk ma toqgħodx kwiet taqlagħha?

Għax meta qed tammetti li qed tagħżel li toqgħod kwiet biex ma taqlagħhiex, inti wkoll tammetti li mhux vera qed insiru tirannija awtoritarja. Iżda ġa sirna.

Nieħu din l-okkażjoni biex nawgura lilkom u lill-familji tagħkom l-Għid it-Tajjeb.



Dan l-artiklu deher fil-ħarġa tal-Mument tal-Ħadd 21 ta' April 2019

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